Low tech dough press??

[NicksPizza]

Can someone tell me if my fantasy of using a tortilla press on little 4.5 to 5.0 oz dough balls is ridiculous? I have this picture of pressing out maybe 6"or 7" circles with it . . . hand work will be just too much to deal with. I think there is likely a reason it won’t work smoothly, when I think of the big dough presses with heated plates.

 

[Patriot_sPizza]

I don’t think you’ll be happy w/the tort press…too much dough…

Dough Pro makes a smaller pizza press…I’ve seen several on line/ebay…designed to “par-bake” but suitable for your needs…

here’s one you may have already looked at…
http://cgi.ebay.com/DOUGHXPRESS-DM-18-M … dZViewItem

this is the mini…
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pizza-Dough-Press-M … dZViewItem

 

[PIZZAMAGOO]

How about the bottom of a big plate? That is pretty low tech!

 

[Wizzle_Wassell]

Hand strecthing 6 or 7 inch pizza’s is a doddle Nick. We do 7 inch pizza’s for lunch yep its a little more fiddly than a large pizza but I bet its quicker and has a better crust than a dough press.

I really think that you need to be consistent across your range of pizza’s - if you hand stretch then hand stretch the lot.

Of course if its not for a pizza then maybe a different story but again I recon you’d do better than a tort press.

 

[steveo922]

I have offer an 8" pizza and to be quite honest I hate em. They’re so tiny its really hard to fit all the ingredients on there, and a real big pain the arse to put cheese on as well. Then when you cut it, the cheese kind of goes down with the knife where you cut it and separates the from the edge of the crust. I could probably make a 12" faster than I make an 8".

 

[NicksPizza]

Thanks for the answers so far. I am pressing out some rounds for things like small panzerotti and/or other folded items. They won’t be pizzas, but maybe small calzone (calzini??), strombolini (if that is a word) and maybe pizza rolls. Just brain storming ways to form/stretch these out using unskilled labor and spare time. I envision in my little brainstorming world par-baking the items, chilling or freezing and then finishing to order.

I will test them out before serving to customers. For that matter, I may dig out the tortilla press and show myself how lousy it is. Maybe a softer dough would work better. I figure a simple pâte brisee or pâte sucre (plain and sweet pastry dough) should work just great, though.